Warwickshire Avon - Colliforms and Colloquialisms

A little early I suppose to fish cheesepaste for chub I but the brass monkeys had been banging their drums rather loud this week and I fancied getting the winter chub gear out and having a dabble. 

Apparently the term came from a brass rack or ‘monkey’ in which cannonballs were stored and which contracted in very cold weather, ejecting the balls, but this explanation has not been proved, I lets leave it at that, I kinda like it. 

Now I prefer to use balanced tackle for hard fighting chub because their fight is so much of the character of the species and their make-up they deserve the anglers respect. 

Cheesepaste can offer bites when other bait are not doing the business. Chub are renowned for taking all manner of baits but cheesepaste must be up there with one of their favourites. 

It is a very selective bait as well so you know when that quiver tip pulls round what the likely culprit is on the end. 

Now this cheespaste of mine is not exactly a secret recipe because it changes year on year depending what I have in the bait fridge at the time. 

The base is always a few different cheeses and a pastry block grated and kneaded together. 

I love this style of roving fishing, it's my more thing. The minimum of tackle and moving from swim to swim to try and pick up a fish or two. 

I've lost more chub to hook pulls and snags than any other species I think, they almost revel in the tussle like a boxer getting in the ring, they just do what they do because they love it.

Especially when they know that they will be put back to see another day because they are not a good eating fish, and no I haven't tried buy there is plenty of literature on the subject. 

The older fish tend to take up residence in particular places where they make foraging expeditions along the reach, returning regularly to their holes under the bank or beneath tree roots. 

Throughout their seasonal wanderings they return repeatedly to such a stronghold, whether it is behind cut camp-sheathing, alongside isolated piles, or in the lee of bridge buttresses beneath the undercut below the masonry.

They love to hang about near bridges but always lie on the edge of the faster water which brings food down to them. They also like the streamy shallows and can often be seen moving upstream and downstream in an apparently aimless manner, returning over the same beat again and again.

Sight fishing in the summer when the waters are clear is a fantastic way to check out their character and also just how cagey they are. 

Even quite small rivers and streams support surprisingly good chub, which seem most adept at making the best of whatever conditions they find there. Their diet consists of practically anything edible, especially as the fish get older and become semi-predatory. 

They will eat slugs, silkweed, worms, insects, shrimps, snails, flies, minnows,frogs, tadpoles, crayfish, and elvers as well as the fry of their own and other species. 

Heck I've even targeted them on strawberry mushrooms. 

They are by no means above rooting about in the bottom when hungry. Chub are less conservative than most species and feed in temperatures which would put other fish down. 

In very hot weather they feed close to the surface, and during colder spells drop into middle-water habits, searching the stream for young fry or anything else which is brought down by the current. 

In-fact many of my most memorable fishing sessions have been catching chub off the top on bread and also surface lures.

 

They are very much less inclined to be fussy about baits than other fishes and do not seem to become preoccupied with particular foods to the exclusion of all others.

Anything floating down which might be edible is enough to evoke interest provided the fish are in a feeding mood, as they almost invariably are. The light set-up I use the bait is free to roll around the swim in the current and bites can often be had before the bait settles in a more static position. 

I use a softer rod with power lower in the blank because I prefer the rod take up some of the chubs initial powerful lunges rather than the drag of the reel. As much as I don't mind catching chub on barbel gear there is no better way to catch them on a set-up for suitable for the quarry. 

The depth bomb I designed and got printed really is a great way to present the paste bait. the small protrusions and hollowed out middle holding the soft bait rather well and being white even if the chub has managed to remove most of it they will still take it. 

But then these are chub after all, there isn't much they don't like and that's what I love experimenting with bait for them. Liver being one of late that has been producing the results from the bigger fish, if only it wasn't as messy, as I'd fish with it more often.  

The river looked a nice green colour when I got bankside but it was clearing fast compared to the day before because I could see a ridiculous number of leaves coming down the river. It's autumn after all but I've always found bites can be hard to find.

Still there are plenty of swims here to fish so I was hoping a few bites would materialise.  To be fair it didn't take long for the first fish but not the usual stamp that swim here.

In-fact I couldn't better a scraper 3 lber out of the six fish I caught. The larger chub could well have been in hiding to get out of the turmoil. 

I did bump one fish off that must have grabbed the paste on the retrieve but even that didn't feel like a fish that warrants my attention down this area of the Warwickshire Avon as I've had quite a few 5lbers here in the past.

 

It just felt dead, as dead as this badger I stumbled upon I cannot put finger on why id didn't produce the goods it as it did look perfect for a much bigger Chevin, still a lovely Autumn day and it was nice to be out.

The leaves were particularly a pain in the backside because even a small leaf caught around he line would move the quiver tip considerably. I shouldn't complain as a number of fish were caught albeit nothing that deserved the Rubens.  

Warwickshire Avon - Belly Fillers and Belemnoids

You can tell when the cold weather hits when the food in the Newey household turns to comfort. Foods more befitting to the mercury level where this week the temperatures from being below zero with a had frost have barely risen to double figures. In-fact as I type this at 11.am it is only 5 degrees.....

For many they rarely venture outside, well not in to the natural world anyway, it's almost like being in another lockdown for many, however foods such as this swede topped cottage pie a simple hearty and healthy meal that doesn't cost the earth and gets you feeling all warm inside again. 

Now the first lockdown, imposed in March last year, had a profoundly isolating effect. Casual conversation with colleagues and classmates stopped overnight, gone too were the after-work drinks, after-school clubs and after-hours bonhomie of pre-pandemic life.

There can be no doubt that this caused much loneliness and misery. Yet according to a new study, published this week the story is not as simple as that. You see researchers surveyed more than 2,000 teenagers and adults and found that all age groups experienced positive as well as negative effects from being alone in the early period of the pandemic. To seek solitude and being confident in your own company is something that everyone give a go at least, it works wonders for me. 

In fact, respondents descriptions of solitude included more positive effects than negative ones, with time alone making them feel competent and autonomous, and affording the opportunity to learn new skills. Life for many can be all consuming I suppose and ok, we all have opinions on lockdowns and the effectiveness of them but there were positives to be had.

One small tweak I did to my own life recently was to remove the two news apps from my phone and therefore meant that the notifications I was almost getting on an hourly basis, have now completely disappeared, and to be honest, I feel much better for it. But then I don't know why I hadn't done it sooner because whenever I tip my toe in to social media I quickly remove it as not to get caught up in the toxicity of it all. 

Lesser outside influence from others is so much better for ones wellbeing and fishing only amplifies that experience because there are no hard and fast rules are there. I for one never think about anything when I'm fishing and that is a complete departure from the daily grind where the diary makers have their foot in beyond ones control. 

Now talking about the odd one out, the Zander a fish I really have upmost admiration for considering they are here in these waters out of no fault of their own and have a bit of a bad rap over the years. Luckily for me having the canal network and Warwickshire Avon where I can catch this fascinating species I've been able to experiment with rigs, hooks and techniques to be able to increase my hook-ups. 

They can be a frustrating species to begin with but with trial and error my current light overdepth float set-up seems to give excellent returns. I've tried ledgering with limited success mainly because the swim dictated it because float bite detection is so much better especially when you know exactly what the fish is doing underneath it. It also means that a bite from a pike and a zander can be distinguished.

For this short session I hotfooted it to an area that I've been fishing recently that thankfully produces a bite or two. I've been scaling down the baits of late and the bites are still forthcoming and I'm always one for making efficient use of baits. Zander the 'fearsome predator' are more than happy to scavenge baits off the bottom and 90% of the zeds I have caught have been this way. 

Now the Avon is currently 9 degrees and is carrying some colour and it looked good for a Zander bite. The depth here can vary considerably but obviously by moving the float stop you can adjust to the swims depth easily enough. 

The first swim was around 9-10 foot deep and usually produces a bite quite quick but 45 minutes in I was thinking about moving to the next swim when a bite on the left-hand rod came out of the blue. The fist carting off upstream and taking the float under with it. As I closed the bail arm the fish tightened up to the drag itself and a fish was on, the tell-tale nodding felt through the rod confirming indeed it was a zander.

After a spirited fight it was in the net and was the usual standard as found in the area, this going 5lb 12ounces on the scales with a rather fully belly on it. They are certainly feeding at the minute, well I thought they were because despite fishing in to dusk and 4 or 5 other swims, that was the only fish I caught.

I had one dropped take and a couple of tiny nudges of the roach sections but surprisingly quiet given the seemingly ideal conditions. 10,000 steps ticked off and a nice fish caught, not all bad and an enjoyable session to be fair especially when I had the banks to myself again. 

River Wye - How Caple Court

It is just over two years now since the mission to try and help an injured kingfisher ended on a sad note, I still think about it from time to time however especially when I often pass near the Vale Wildlife Hospital and all those memories come flooding back. 

Now a kingfisher is a common sight for us anglers spending so much time on the water but to get to see one close up really was something special despite the outcome for the poor little bird, at least it was put to sleep without pain and if I hadn't rescued it, I dread to think what had happened being left out in the open like it was. 

There’s nothing like the thrill of spotting an iridescent flash of blue as a Kingfisher swoops over the river. With its metallic copper breast and bright-blue back this is one of the country’s most colourful birds. 

You can tell the difference between a male and a female by their bills. Males have a completely black bill, whilst females have an orangey-red patch at the base.

I didn't know that till recently as I might have asked for a tweak to my Etsy order for a handmade kingfisher to accompany us in the Jimny on our angling trips. Sam as well recalls the story too as it was close (literally) to his heart as well.  

Now Nic from Avon Angling UK would be with me on this session to the River Wye, and he'd likened the Jimny to a kingfisher when he'd seen me on the local roads in an manner unexpected from a car with its chassis and steering seemingly disconnected.

But it's like all things isn't it, you get used to it and I can hustle it rather well now despite any passenger worrying for their lives such the fear that the thing will fall off the road. Now Nic has fished this stretch before in similar conditions and its always nice to get some tips and tricks as I'd be fishing it blind. 

There was less to go at here from my last trip to the Wye, well I say that, there is still 2/3's of a mile of available water providing it was all accessible that is, because that would be dictated by the rivers levels.

One of the reasons why we booked it was that there is always a swim apparently at the bottom end of the stretch that can be fished despite the river being 4 metres up. It had dropped quite a bit to be fair but still well up on normal river levels and naturally I fancied a river Wye hard fighting barbel.

The weather had turned much colder though but I was hoping we'd hit the river at the right time. Nic had been winkling some nice barbel out in-fact a few days before elsewhere on the river Wye he had managed a double which was a fantastic result. Simple tactics for me as I'd stick to the feeder approach given the likely colour of the water and the chance of a big fish. 

A paste wrapped boilie with pungent groundbait with pellets and some meat for back-up for something else to try if the bites were not forthcoming. It's just over an hour door to door and from dawn to dusk I'll have at least 9-10 hours to try and winkle one or two out as I'd not caught a barbel for a while. The last was a near double from the Warwickshire Avon a number of weeks back. 

I had a back up plan though as I'd also have a pike set-up with me that I could keep close in the car and I would fish a dyed yellow smelt under a float if the chub and barbel were not playing ball. The Wye pike are on a different level and another option would well be worth considering with the brass monkey's making an appearance, and any decent Wye pike caught would beat my 13lb PB from the canal. 

Now the Pike (Esox lucius) cannot possibly be confused with any other British freshwater fish. Long and slender, built for sudden spurts of acceleration from ambush rather than for staying power, they are predominantly green on the flank, dark on the dorsal surface, and camouflaged to match the reed beds in which they often lurk.

In the young fish this camouflage takes the form of light, often yellowish, bars. The adult fish are marked with primrose spots. Fins and tail often have brownish, or even red, edges. 

Dorsal and ventral fins are to the rear. The head is long and the jaws are powerful, sharp grabbing and gripping teeth in the lower jaw. 

The roof of the mouth is covered with hundreds of rearward facing ‘ratchet’ teeth which prevent the prey, once gripped, from slipping out again. 

The eyes are sited on top of the head for upward vision in attack and set to give binocular vision, which enables the fish to ‘sight’ on its prey and judge distance when darting at it.

Prey fishes such as the roach have monocular vision, which gives all-round warning of approach. 

The pike is not so concerned with self-defence (though quite large fish of 8Ib or more are sometimes gobbled, cannibal fashion, by relatives), it needs to look forward and upward. It is a British freshwater fish that can look you squarely in both eyes at once. Many anglers find this disconcerting. 

Anyway back to the fishing to be honest, a whole days fishing doesn't happen very often for me. To be fair 2-5 hours is enough for me however it was my birthday after all so the usual Itchen trip would be swapped for somewhere closer to home. The days are much shorter at this time of year so it would be more than enough time to satisfy the urge.  

We arrived at dawn and went for a nose at the stretch, the mist just lifting and the sun about to rise, my what a setting. Its like being in a different world with only the noise from the natural environment disturbing the peace. 

Nic and I started in the two big open swims where despite the river being well up they were perfectly fishable. The problem was with the recent cold weather the water temperature had dropped to 8 degrees so after a biteless 45 minutes I resulted to getting the Pike rod out and Nic went on the rover upstream.

There were bait fish topping all over the swim close in and it didn't take long to get a run on the smelt and a confident run I tightened up to the circle hook. It was a good hook hold and  a decent fight a nice Pike was in the net. Not huge by Wye standards but at 11lb 6 ounces it was most welcome indeed. 

I alternated between the two swims with Pike rod and then with the Barbel rod and there wasn't much doing. I changed to luncheon meat and then the first chub pulls materialised. Some decent bites too but no fish were forthcoming.

Nic was struggling for bites as well upstream and also luncheon meat seemed to bring the most interest. Lunchtime was approaching though so after meeting back at the cars I cooked up some bacon for a BLT from the back of the Jimny and we discussed tactics. 

So we both went on the rove again with Nic fishing a swim he'd baited up and eventually bites started to come. All from chub though the barbel just didn't seem to be interested in a feed, having not quite dusted off their winter jackets off yet.

I caught them up to 4.5lb some decent bites and some nice fish. Initially the pulls and plucks resulting in a fish on for me if I let out some slack like to give less resistance. 

Nic had more chub than me in the end but even for him the barbel didn't show and he has been catching them no problem in various stretches of the Wye. Even with dropping (3ft when we got there) and clearing Wye at dusk they didn't respond. 

Still a fantastic day in great company and considering its not 'that' far to drive 60 miles and an hour and 15 minutes, I really need to fish the Wye more often especially when it looks like this. A slice of heaven.